Audiovisual equipment, such as televisions, projectors, and computer monitors are in widespread usage for home entertainment and business applications, as well as theaters, auditoriums, and presentation rooms. In order to enhance the aesthetics of these facilities, it is becoming increasingly common to store audiovisual equipment in ceilings, cabinets, walls, and floors. For example, audiovisual equipment can be raised and lowered through the center of a conference table. Typically, a false surface or panel is affixed to the projector lift system to conceal the audiovisual equipment under the table when not in use.
Prior lift systems are typically designed to fit a particular size piece of audiovisual equipment. With the explosive growth in the variety and sizes of audiovisual equipment, manufacturers of lift systems typically build different systems to accommodate different size audiovisual equipment. Additionally, some prior lift systems lack the accuracy and repeatability to precisely position a false surface or panel for effectively concealing the audiovisual equipment. Prior lift systems generally lack a safety feature to prevent the user from being injured if they inadvertently place their fingers at the sheer point between the moving audiovisual equipment and a storage compartment. Finally, as the size of audiovisual equipment continues to increase, with a corresponding increases in weight, many prior lift systems lack the braking capacity to safely retain the audiovisual equipment in an extended or exposed position for a prolonged period of time.